John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

that were expressed publicly on, as I recall, 26 March this year when Mr Blair and I held a joint news conference. As best I can recall his remarks—and when I get hold of his precise remarks I will have them put into HansardMr Blair said that, unless we get an agreement that includes countries like China, India and the United States, we are not going to have an effective international emissions-trading system. Indeed, my recollection of that encounter when Mr Blair came to Australia was that the observation on climate change that most fascinated him was that made in the meeting between ministers and the British Prime Minister in which the Minister for the Environment and Heritage in our government made the observation that, if we were to close down all of our power stations tonight, it would take China only nine months of emissions in order to equal that contribution. I reject completely that that man was speaking for his Prime Minister on AM. I thought his remarks were somewhat patronising and certainly not representative of the views of his Prime Minister.

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